アンティオコス4世エピファネスとゼウス・オリュンピオス

Antiochus IV of the Seleucids was the first Hellenistic king to express the epithets of Theos Epiphanes on the reverse of his coins and represented the portraits of Zeus Olympius at the same time. Since E. R. Bevan hypothesized that Antiochus IV identified himself with Zeus Olympius, the interpretation has found general acceptance. However, there is a different tendency in recent studies, so I refer to several points. Antiochus IV epithets as such cannot deny the influence of Ptolemy V Epiphanes. But besides that there must have been other rational reasons. When Antiochus IV returned to Syria, the royal family of the Seleucids had been in utter confusion and the realm was in unrest, particularly in Coele-Syria and Phoenicia. The partisans of Ptolemy in these regions seem to have defied his kingship because they had been under the rule of the Ptolemies more than several decades until 200 B. C. In addition to that, the plan for recapturing Coele-Syria and Phoenicia was being manoeuvred at the court of the Ptolemies. In such situations, from early on Antiochus IV aimed to strengthen his kingship and to counter the plot of the Ptolemies. Accordingly, it may be considered that he expressed himself by Theos Epiphanes as the saviour of the Seleucid Kingdom.Antiochus IV ignored the tradition that Apollo was portraied on the Seleucid coins after Antiochus I, and instead of Apollo he represented Zeus Olympius on his coins. The Seleucids, however, were not always regardless of Zeus Olympius, since the god was the highest guardian deity of the dynasty. Antiochus IV seems to have needed, first of all, the protection of the god when he aimed at strengthening his kingship, and he may have followed the first king Seleucus I with his intention of being the refounder of the Seleucid Kingdom. On the other hand, we must take into consideration that royal coins in antiquity had an exceedingly important propaganda effect. From this point of view, we cannot assert that Antiochus IV did not identify himself with Zeus Olympius, but it would not seem that he demanded the standardized worship for him as Zeus Olympius from his people. It is plausible that he left the cult for him to their estimation. According to I Maccabees, Antiochus IV ordered the dedication of the temple at Jerusalem to Zeus Olympius, and the festival is supposed to have been in the cult form of Baalshsmin whose deity was worshiped as Zeus Olympius in Syria. It is, however, improbable that Antiochus IV enforced upon every tribe in his realm such a syncretic cult as it was worshiped by gentile and Jewish apostates at Jerusalem.According to literary sources, Antiochus IV was undoubtedly interested in Zeus Olympius, and he made a display of his kingship inside and outside the realm.However, the epithets of his Theos Epiphanes were limited inside, and he was always Epiphanes during his lifetime outside. The Seleucids after him had also connections with Zeus Olympius, but he did not name himself Zeus Antiochus as did Seleucus I Zeus Seleucus, granting this dynasty to be on the rapid decline after him. Even though he considered himself cherished by Zeus Olympius, he would not have organized his realm under a unified policy with the god. He hellenized many cities with the purpose of developing civic consciousness, and with it he intended to form a stabile government. On the other hand, he intended to rule as an absolute monarch. Such political ideology was not yet accepted in his realm and was contradictory because the consciousness as a unified government was unripe in the Hellenistic Oriental society. Therefore, we may say that from Antiochus IV conduct it is hard to resolve clearly the relationship of Zeus Olympius to him.